NCJ Number
85882
Date Published
1980
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The 1976 police strike in Finland did not result in a significant increase in crime or public disorder, although there was a small increase in violent crimes, property offenses, traffic offenses, and public disturbances, as measured by other than police statistics.
Abstract
The police strike did not contribute to a radical breakdown in crime control and public order for a number of possible reasons. As a whole, the social situation in Finland at the time of the strike was very stable. Further, Finland does not have organized criminality that might have used a strategy to take full advantage of the strike. Finland also appears to lack disturbance-prone population groups or a tradition of restlessness. Also, the cold weather during the strike was not conducive to outdoor disturbances. The Winter Olympics, which took place at the start of the strike, may also have diverted the attention of the public from the instigation of public disorder. While other police strikes in cities throughout the world are cited as having led to anarchy within the affected jurisdictions, such a general scenario for police strikes is not supported by the consequences of the Finnish police strike. Tabular data and 15 references are provided.